Nebraska Bats

An overview of the bats found in Nebraska and white nose syndrome.

Baxter Seguin

Presented to the Invasive Species Advisory Council, September 13, 2019 Why Bats? Ecosystem Services

Pollination – Cactus flowers in the Southwest – Agave (tequila) – Mangoes – Bananas – Guavas – Over 300 species of plants

Lesser long nosed bat Ecosystem Services

Guano – The War of the Pacific – “Guano War” – 1879 – Bolivia and Peru vs. Chile – Nitrogen rich fertilizer Ecosystem Services

Insectivores • 70% of bat species worldwide eat insects • These bats can eat 125% of their weight each night Ecosystem Services

Insectivores • 70% of bat species worldwide eat insects • These bats can eat 125% of their weight each night • Without bats... • Corn costs could increase 20-30% • Cotton costs could increase 10-13% Value of Bats

Bats contribute >$3.7 Billion per year to reducing crop loss and pesticide use in the US alone

(source: Boyles, et al, 1 APRIL 2011 VOL 332 SCIENCE www.sciencemag.org) Value of Bats

Extent Crop Amount Source

Thailand Rice $1.2 million (Wanger, Darras, Bumrungsri, Tscharntke, & Klein, 2014) Globally Corn $1 billion (Brown et al., 2015)

Texas (8 counties) Cotton $741,000 (Cleveland et al., 2006)

North America All crops $3.7-53 billion (Boyles et al., 2011) Bat Species of Nebraska

Duram photos Bat Species of Nebraska

Hoary Bat 15.5 inches

Big Brown Bat 12.9 inches

Northern Long-eared Bat 10 inches

Tri-colored Bat 9.25 inches Big Brown Bat Eptesicus fuscus

• Wingspan: 12.5 inches • Diet: Moths and beetles • Winter: Hibernate in caves and buildings Eastern Red Bat Lasiurus borealis

• Wingspan: 12.2 inches • Diet: Moths, beetles, and flies • Winter: Migrate and tree roost

Duram photos Silver Haired Bat Lasionycteris noctivagans

• Wingspan: 11.5 inches • Diet: Moths, flies, leafhoppers, and beetles • Winter: Short distance migrants

Duram photos Hoary Bat Lasiurus cinereus

• Wingspan: 15.5 inches • Diet: Moths • Winter: Migrate and tree roost

Duram photos Northern long-eared Bat Myotis septentrionalis

• Wingspan: 10 inches • Diet: Moths, crickets, spiders, stone flies • Winter: Hibernate in caves Little Brown Bat Myotis lucifugus

• Wingspan: 8-11 inches • Diet: Moths, mosquitoes, midges, mayflies... • Winter: Hibernate in buildings, caves, mines Tri-colored Bat Perimyotis subflavus

• Wingspan: 9 inches • Diet: Opportunistic • Winter: Hibernate in caves and mines

Duram photos Western Small-footed Myotis Myotis ciliolabrum

• Wingspan: 9.4 inches • Diet: Moths, beetles, and flies • Winter: Hibernate in caves and cliffs Fringed Myotis Myotis thysanodes

• Wingspan: 11 inches • Diet: Beetles and moths • Winter: Hibernate in buildings and mines White Nose Syndrome White Nose Syndrome

Pseudogymnoascus destructans Or Pd White Nose Syndrome White Nose Syndrome White Nose Syndrome

>90% mortality in cave dwelling species White Nose Syndrome

Long lived Low reproduction rates

longer

Lifespan shorter smaller bigger Body weight White Nose Syndrome

Quick animation showing the spread since 2006 Species Affected in NE

Tri-colored bat (Peryimyotis subflavus)

Little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) Northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis) White Nose Syndrome

So that is the bad news… What can we do about it? White Nose Syndrome

Anti fungal bacterium Originally studied to combat fruit spoiling White Nose Syndrome

Avoid further spread Decontamination WNS in Nebraska

Habitat Habitat Habitat! How can the public help? Primum non nocere

You don’t have to actively try to help bats to do good...

...just avoid doing additional harm Timing tree clearing

• Cut between Oct. and March 15 • Avoid removing snags if possible Exclusion efforts

• Avoid excluding during summer months • Use reputable exclusion experts • Install bat houses well in advance Avoid Entering Caves

• White-nose syndrome is easily spread cave-to-cave • Avoid recreational caving • If you have been in an eastern cave, avoid western caves!

Tim Carter Help out the bats

You can also do things to help out bats! Bat Houses

• 60 % occupied within 2 years • Tall designs (>25”) are best • Bats like it hot! • Avoid trees • Keep out wasps • No spraying! • Use BCI’s plans Stock Tank Ladders

• Many animals drown in stock tanks including bats. • Ladders help provide an exit. • Costs: $45-60/8 ladders • Required at NRCS watering facilities

Journal Star Bat Friendly Gardens

• Bats need food, water, and shelter. • Plants to attract moths • Water features • Maintain roost structures or bat houses.

Journal Star Spread the word!

• Get the word out about bats! • Citizen Science • Join or donate to bat conservation groups • Attend bat viewings • BioBlitz • Batcon.org • Batconservation.org How do we Study Bats? Studying Bats: Caves Studying Bats: Mist Netting Studying Bats: Telemetry Studying Bats: Acoustics North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat) Nebraska NABat Nebraska NABat

Stationary Detector Car Driving Deployments Transects Nebraska NABat

Work with over 100 private landowners

Help from dozens of volunteers Nebraska NABat

Work with over 100 private landowners

Help from dozens of volunteers

4 Years of successful data collection

2 More years of funding Nebraska NABat Nebraska NABat

Establish an early warning system for common species decline Nebraska NABat

Establish an early warning system for common species decline

Determine what landscape characteristics influence higher levels of bat activity for each species Nebraska NABat

Establish an early warning system for common species decline

Determine what landscape characteristics influence higher levels of bat activity for each species

Increase public awareness and involvement in bat research Questions

Baxter Seguin [email protected]